Friends are enemies Enemies friends
by RobStar243
Summary: The Teen Titans find themselves fighting an unexpected enemy. Help comes in the form of an unexpected ally. Friendships will be tested and trust will be pushed to its limits. Will Robin finally find peace with his life, his friends, his family, and the love of his life? This is my first story. Entirely RobStar, nothing else. Please review!
1. How It Began

**DISCLAIMER: The only thing I currently own is the plot and the laptop I'm using to write this story. I do not own Teen Titans, Batman or related stuff. **

**A.N.: This is my first story, so please be considerate. I hope you like my efforts. Please review, it would mean a lot to me. And if you have any criticism, please feel free to correct me. This takes place before 'Trouble in Tokyo', so Starfire and Robin aren't yet together.**

**Hope you enjoy this story! Thanks for reading!**

**Love, Opal :)**

**TITANS TOWER**

Jump City had been rather quiet since The Brotherhood of Evil had been defeated, considering that most of the villains were still frozen. But, the occasional person turned up from time to time. The Titans had just gotten back after a particularly irritating round of cat-and-mouse with Control Freak. How he escaped, God only knew. But now, he was back in custody and the Titans were sprawled out over the couch in the main room. Raven was reading a spell book. Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing video games. Robin and Starfire were sitting at the counter, eating and talking about fighting techniques. Robin got a bit of ketchup on his cheek, and Starfire reached out to brush it off. The moment her fingers made contact with his skin, Robin turned redder than the ketchup. He adjusted his collar, and excused himself to go to his room and write up the report.

"But Robin, your sandwich?" asked Starfire.

"I'm not that hungry..."

Cyborg and Beast Boy snickered, while Raven rolled her eyes at their idiocy. Starfire just stared gloomily after him. She never could understand why he would suddenly clam up in the middle of a perfectly good conversation and leave.

**(Robin's POV)**

I mentally kicked myself, as I made my way down the corridor to my room. How did I manage to act like a total idiot every time Starfire was close to me? Starfire was my best friend. She was sweet, innocent, caring, and kind. Those beautiful green eyes were filled with innocence and love and compassion, and I was always drawn deeper and deeper into those endless, clear pools of green. Her hair was so soft and shiny and the most beautiful shade of red I'd ever seen, cascading down her back. Her skin was a lovely shade, unlike all others, yet the most beautiful. And her figure, boy, oh boy, her figure… Wait, what's wrong with me? She's my best friend! I'm not supposed to be having such thoughts about her! She's an alien princess; I'm a circus boy who was lucky enough to be adopted by a multi-billionaire! She could have any guy in the whole universe with a snap of her fingers, and anyway, she only considers me her best friend.

I went to the training room and took my bo-staff. I started venting my feelings into every blow that I struck. Soon, I was drenched in sweat and the practice dummy needed replacement. As I wiped my face with a towel, I heard a soft knock on the door. I turned to see Star standing in the doorway, with a tray of food in her hands.

"Robin, I thought you might be hungry, as you didn't eat your sandwich earlier and you did not come for dinner too."

"Is it dinner time already?"

"Robin, it is past mid of the night," she said softly.

I hadn't realized that I had been training for almost four hours. "Thanks, Star", I said, taking the tray from her. "Wait, why are you still up?"

"I was the worried about you, friend Robin. Often, you work too hard and neglect yourself. Also, I wished to apologize for my actions today. I did not mean to offend you."

"Star, you didn't offend me at all. Don't worry." I gave her a reassuring smile, one of the few I kept especially for her. "Now, go to bed. You are tired, and no, there's no point protesting, because I can see it written on your face."

"Pleasant shlorvaks, Robin." she murmured and floated out.

"Good night, Star." I couldn't keep a soft smile from creeping on my face, as I looked at the departing figure of the girl who changed my world. I finished my food, and went to bed.

**(Next day. Starfire's POV)**

I woke up before sunrise, as my Tamaranean physiology was used to. I made my way to the roof, to absorb sunlight, as was my habit. However, I was rather surprised when I saw someone already there. He looked like Robin. He normally came here a little later, when the sun was about to rise, not while it was still dark. He was pacing furiously, and he looked ready to erupt any moment. I floated towards him, hoping to speak to him and calm him down, when he suddenly turned around. His face had an wild expression and without any warning, he threw a disk at me. Smoke surrounded me and I started coughing violently. I felt something collide with me, and I was enveloped by darkness.

When I opened my eyes, I was somehow in my bed, and the light outside my window made it clear that it was morning. I dismissed that episode with Robin as a dream. I got ready and was walking to the main room, when I heard the alarm sound. I rushed to the main room, and was followed by Raven and Beast Boy. Robin and Cyborg were already present there.

Cyborg said,"Yo! People! Plasmus, Kardiak, and Overload are attacking Jump City in different zones!"

Robin went into his leader mode, which I secretly found rather endearing and charming and as Earth people called it, the 'hot'. "Raven, Cyborg, you take Plasmus. Beast Boy, you take Kardiak. Star and me are going after Overload." And then, with his war cry of "Titans, go!" we dashed off.

Robin was on his R-Cycle, while I flew behind him. Suddenly, his communicator beeped. He flipped it open and his expression changed. He said, "Starfire, someone's breaking in at Jump City Museum. You go check it out. I can take Overload." I nodded and changed direction, setting course for the museum.

I landed in front of the museum, and entered it, lighting a starbolt in my hand. I walked through the corridors for sometime before I came to the exhibit dedicated to us, the Teen Titans. The glass door had been smashed. I floated inside, so as not to trip any alarms. I cast my light around, and did not notice anything odd, until I came to the part dedicated to Robin. There, right in the middle of the glass case containing his uniform was something that sent a chill along my spine. I walked up to it, not touching it, but scrutinising it closely, just to be sure that I was not dreaming. And yet, there it was, staring back at me as if challenging me.

I heard soft steps behind me. I turned, my eyes glowing green, and my hands crackling with raw energy. And yet, I saw nothing, nobody. It was then that I heard his silken voice, somewhere from the shadows, say, "Long time no see, cutie."


	2. X Returned

** A.N. : I hope you like my story. I'm trying to update as soon as I can, but I have my exams coming up, so I may not be able to update as much. I promise you all though, that the moment my vacations start, you'll be getting chapters pretty quickly. And, the main plot will be starting soon, maybe another chapter or two later. Ideas and suggestions are welcome in the reviews. Please review. I'm hoping for atleast 5 reviews before I put up the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love, Opal**

**(Starfire's POV)**

"Long time no see, cutie."

Those five words were enough to make my skin crawl. I knew that voice better than anyone else. He walked out of the shadows, smirking.

That did it. I shot a volley of starbolts at him, but he gracefully somersaulted out of the way. I knew I couldn't beat him at hand-to-hand combat. He was close to Robin's calibre and even with my training on Okaara; Robin had always been just a cut above me. Suddenly, I noticed that he had changed his pattern, and was on the defensive. I took advantage of this and started pushing him back. Bad idea. Just as we were near the wall, he smiled and extracting one of his smoke bombs, he disappeared into the shadows. I powered up my hands and cast my light around, looking for that clorbag. I could not find him anywhere.

"You still can't find me, cutie. I'm disappointed. I thought Boy Blunder would have taught you better."

Suddenly, I heard a soft frushh behind me, but too late. He had dropped down behind me and he dealt a straight blow to the base of my head, not strong enough to break my neck, but enough to knock me out. My Tamaranean strength prevented me from fainting, but my vision was extremely blurred and I was dizzy. I tried to fly, so that he couldn't hit me. But, as always, he was fast, and my dizziness was to his advantage. He aimed something at me, and I felt myself be bound by something. I crashed to the ground and blacked out.

When I finally came to, I found myself stuck to the wall, trapped by one huge, sticky 'x'. He stood in front of me, waiting for me to wake up. He had his back to me, so, I decided to use my eyebeams. I shot pure, unadulterated energy at him, fuelled by my 'righteous fury' that I felt. He dodged them, murmuring, "You always were a bit slow, cutie. And what way is that to greet an old friend?"

"You are no friend of mine, Red X. You are a criminal, who needs to be stopped."

"And I suppose it was dear Boy Blunder who taught you that. Tsk, tsk. I thought he'd be a little more caring, after all I've been through. But then, it is you who is in question, cutie. He's always been very protective of you, hasn't he?"

"Robin is my best friend, and you do not get away with mocking him!"

"Ah, friendship. Or should I say affection?"

I blushed deeply at this, turning a brilliant scarlet, deeper than my flaming hair. "Stop with the chit of chats. Free me this instant, and tell me why you were doing the vandalizing of the museum."

"Oh, cutie, you are picking up a lot from Robin. You used to be so much fun. Now, you're becoming all prim and proper like Bird Boy. Anyway, I will respect your wishes, provided you promise not to attack me. In return, I will remove your bonds and will not attack either. Do we have a deal? "

"Alright. I shall not attack you for now."

He moved over to me and in two swift strokes, he cut my bonds, and I dropped to the floor. "Now, start talking. I am not here for the party of tea. Why are you here in the museum?"

"All in good time, cutie. First, sit down. You're battered enough as it is. I didn't expect you to be able to hold out against me for so long, and that fall you took from mid-air didn't do you much good. Even with your Tamaranean physiology, it'll take you time to recover from this, and you need to be in peak condition."

I grudgingly realized that he was right; I did need to sit down. I was hurt and would be sporting terrific bruises soon. "Now, talk."

"I'm surprised you don't know already, cutie. Doesn't your leader ever brief you on your missions? I'm surprised; Boy Blunder is finally living up to his name. Most unlike him. In Gotham, HE won't like to hear of this. Anyway, I won't tell you why I'm here, because I don't need to. You'll know soon enough. And cutie, I promised I wouldn't attack, not that I wouldn't escape." He threw a smoke bomb at me, and the smoke made me drowsy. I struggled to keep my eyes open. Through the smoke, I made out a faint outline of him, walking towards me. "Sorry, cutie. I seem to be knocking you out a lot. But before I go, do me a favour. Tell Dick I said 'hi'."

And with a smirk, Red X pressed his belt and teleported out of there, just as I succumbed to sleep.

**(Robin's POV)**

The battle with Overload had been easy. Too easy. It had barely taken me 30 minutes to reach there, overpower him, and hand him over so that he could be detained. Within minutes, I got a call from Beast Boy saying that Kardiak was under control, and very soon, Raven and Cyborg also confirmed that Plasmus was being detoxified. I told all of them to meet me at the Tower. I assumed Starfire would also be there, after checking the museum. For all I knew, it would be another kid who'd taken on a stupid dare again.

I got on my R-Cycle and decided to take a short patrol of the city, just in case some nut decided to pop up. I started with the north side, then decided to go downtown, and then across to the Tower. All seemed normal. I reached the Tower and let myself in, after scanning my hand. I saw Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg going to the common room, and assumed Star was already there. I made my way directly to my room, to write up the report. I walked into my room, and the door swished shut behind me. I switched on my laptop and started typing up the report. After I was done, I checked my email to see if I had any new messages. What I saw nearly made me faint. I blinked and checked again to be sure. No, there was no mistaking that name. I clicked 'open' and read it, my eyes steadily growing wider behind my mask. I hurriedly took a printout of the message and then shut the system down. My communicator beeped. I flipped it open to see Cyborg.

"Rob, you better get here to the common room. There's something you should see."

I went quickly to the common room, wondering what on earth had happened. The door opened to show Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy standing near the door, staring silently towards the counter. It had been cracked into two. The screen had been smashed and was smoking. Occasional sparks were visible. Glass littered the floor. The rest of the room looked pretty much similarly destroyed. My inner detective started thinking about possible culprits and reasons. Mumbo, Mad Mod, Hive Five- all of them were still frozen. We just fought with Plasmus and Overload. Blackfire hadn't been seen since Starfire banished her, that time when she nearly got married to that Glrdlesklerchhh. Thank God we were able to save Star in time. I don't even want to think what would've happened to me if she had…. Hold on a second. Where was Starfire anyway?

"Hey Cy, you seen Starfire?"

"Nope, Rob. Haven't seen her since we got back."

"Robin, wasn't she with you when you went to deal with Overload?" asked Raven.

"No, I sent her to check out some disturbance at the Museum. She should've returned by now." I called her communicator. "Starfire, come in. Starfire." There was no response. "That's odd. She always answers her communicator. Cyborg, get me a lock on her position. I'll go check it out. Beast Boy and Raven, see if you can find any evidence as to who trashed this place."

"Yo, Robbie boy, your girlfriend is still at the museum."

"I'm on it. And Cyborg, you might want to remember that we have training this evening, and I'm going to be picking the obstacles for the course. And if I remember correctly, your performance with the flying targets was less than satisfactory last time." I departed with a cocky smirk. I went down to the garage, and dashed off on the R-Cycle.

It was now that my teenage boy side took control a bit. She was my best friend, a very innocent one at that. I knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but the wrecked tower had unsettled me. I was terrified about her safety. If anything happened to her I would never be able to live with myself, knowing that it was me who had sent her and condemned the girl I had a cr… the girl who was my best friend. I fervently hoped she was all right.

I reached the museum and looked at my communicator for her location. I followed the map to the Titans' exhibit. It wasn't lit, only the faint light from the skylight shone in. It formed a circle of light on the floor, in the middle of which lay Starfire. Her eyes were closed, and her ruby red hair was spread out, falling softly over her face. She was badly bruised and battered. My heart was in my throat. No, this couldn't be happening, I couldn't be too late, she couldn't be… She had to be alright. Any moment now, she would shoot up into the air, giggling. I walked over and knelt next to her. It was then that I noticed the soft rise and fall of her chest. She was breathing. I checked her pulse, just to be sure. She was merely asleep. I lifted her, and hugged her. I was so, so relieved that she was alive.

I put her down again, with her head resting in my lap. I shook her gently. "Star! Hey, Star. Wake up."

She stirred."Mhmm, friend Robin, what happened? My head hurts so very much. As does the rest of me. What are you doing here?"

"Ssshh, Star. It's okay. It's all right. You hadn't reached the Tower so I came looking for you. Come on, let's go."

Then, she did something which I should have expected, but it took me by surprise anyway. She reached up and hugged me. Not one of her signature bone-crushing Starfire hugs, but a soft, long, loving hug. I automatically found my arms around her, holding her to me. I don't know why, but something as simple as this made my cheeks flare scarlet.

"Thank you Robin." she murmured against my collarbone.

"C'mon Star, let's go. The others must be waiting."

She stepped away from me, and tried to fly. However, she could do no more than a quick hover before falling to the ground. I caught her in my arms, before she hit the ground. I knew she was one tuff alien, but to me, it seemed like she could shatter anytime.

"Careful. You're still hurt and banged up pretty badly. Come with me on the R-Cycle, okay?"

She nodded and mounted it behind me. I felt her arms snake around my torso, securing her to me. I didn't need a mirror to know that at that instant, my cheeks were sporting a lovely Robin red.

We drove back in silence. When we reached the Tower, we went directly to the common room. The others had done a good job repairing it, and it seemed almost new.

"Great job guys. I'll take Star to the medical bay and get her patched up. You guys finish up the work around here. Raven, when you're done, could you help heal Starfire a bit?"

"I'll be there, Robin."

I helped Starfire up to the medical bay. She sat down and I got out some bandages, antiseptic, and cotton. I sat down next to her and took her arm. It was riddled with scratches and a couple of bruises. She also had a huge gash along her shoulder to her elbow. I picked up some cotton and dipped it in antiseptic. I tended to her wounds.

"So, Star, you okay? I'd say you had a rather nasty battle, if someone managed to bruise you."

"I am the o and kay, Robin. It wasn't much of a problem."

"Who was it? I need to write the report."

"He didn't steal anything. He was probably just fooling around."

"I get that part, because apart from the glass door being smashed, there was nothing wrong with the place. But, who was it, Star?"

I could feel her squirming uncomfortably. It was clear that she didn't want to say something. What could she be hiding from me? "Starfire?"

She breathed deeply. "It was him, Robin. Red X."

I couldn't believe my ears. I was so shocked that I dropped the bottle of antiseptic. It shattered into a million pieces. "Robin? Robin! Are you all right?"

"Yeah, Star, I'm okay. It's just that he hadn't made an appearance lately." I forced a smile on my face.

Raven came rushing in. "What happened here? Robin, Starfire, you two okay?"

"Yeah Raven. It was nothing. Hey, could you heal Star now? I think she needs to rest, she was banged up pretty bad."

I walked out of the medical bay and went to my room. I had a lot of stuff to think about.

**(Raven's POV)**

"Starfire, lie down, so that I can heal you easily. Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

I moved my hands with their healing aura over her body. Bruises started disappearing, wounds started closing up. Within moments, Star looked healthy and normal. But she still needed to sleep.

"Star, come on. You need to rest. I'll take you to your room."

With her leaning on me, we made it to her room, and she lay down. "Thank you, friend Raven. You have been most kind and helpful."

I stepped out of her room, and started walking. I was immediately hit by a wave of emotions. Okay, if Star was asleep, and those two idiots were killing the gaming console, then this had to be our leader, who was killing his sanity and mine. I knocked on his door, which was right next to Star's.

"Come in." I entered. As I had predicted, he was sitting on his laptop, typing up the report. He was smashing the keyboard as if each key had done him some great personal wrong.

"Robin, stop killing the keyboard. And calm down. Your thoughts are causing an emotional cyclone in my head."

He looked up with a sheepish expression."Sorry Raven, I didn't mean to disturb you. I've just been a little worked up."

"Well, I can already see that, seeing as you left your 'best friend's 'side when she was hurt."

He turned pink. "It's not my fault. And I didn't leave her..."

"Yeah, right. So, now tell me the truth, why are you so frantic that I could hear you from the med bay?"

He sighed."Red X's back and attacked Starfire. Why wouldn't I be frantic?"

"Robin, relax. Its only X. It's not like he's stolen something huge or is going to destroy the world."

"I guess you're right. I am overreacting. Thanks Raven."

I walked out of his room, muttering to myself about hormonal teenage boys.

**(Starfire's POV)**

I tried to sleep after Raven healed me. But it seemed that my body had slept enough when Red X knocked me out with the sleeping gas. Red X! I needed to tell Robin about him! I went to his room, and timidly knocked. "Come in.", he said tiredly. I floated in, and saw that he had his back to me while he was typing away.

"Robin, may I do the talking with you?"

He turned around, surprised."Star, you're up already?"

"I could not sleep anymore. I hope you are not the upset with me."

His expression softened, and he patted the space next to him. "Course not, Star. Why would I be mad at you?"

I sat down next to him."You seemed upset when you heard that it was Red X."

"Star, I told you, I was merely surprised, as he hadn't made an appearance lately."

"Oh! I guess that it is all right then."

He smiled, and I felt like my insides were melting. "Robin, when I was fighting with Red X, he said that you already knew why he was there."

Robin looked up at me with an odd expression."I don't know why he said that, Star… Did anything else happen?"

"No, Robin, I do not think so. We fought, he said you knew why he was there, and he knocked me out and teleported away."

"Hmm… He's acting odd."

"Wait... something's coming to me. Before I blacked out, he told me to tell someone called Dick that he said 'hi'. I do not know whether to make tails or heads of that. Robin? Are you all right?"

Robin's face had become extremely pale, and I found that his grip on my hand had suddenly tightened, almost as if he was afraid. "Star, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, Robin?"

"Do you think it is wrong to keep a secret from everyone, if it means protecting the ones you love?"

"Robin, I believe you shouldn't keep secrets from your family and close ones, even if it means protection for your loved ones. You should tell them at some point of time if you think they've earned your trust enough and deserve to know. However, I wouldn't consider it completely wrong to keep secrets, if it is necessary."

"Thanks Star." He was deep in thought for a moment or two. Then he looked up at me. He clasped my hand, and I looked at him. "Starfire, promise me that you will tell no one about what happens in this room in the next few minutes."

"You have my word, Robin."

"Close your eyes, Star." I did so, and he lifted my hand that he still held. He guided it upwards and I felt my fingers brush against his skin and some fabric. "Hold it, Star." I held the fabric in my fingers, and he slowly guided my hand away and moved it downwards. "Open your eyes, Starfire."

I opened my eyes and nearly fainted. I was looking straight into a pair of the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They were a deep, clear, sapphire blue. I felt as if I was sinking into them. I reached out to stroke his cheek.

"Robin? Your eyes… "

He smiled, and I saw his eyes light up at my reaction. Initially, his eyes had fear, uncertainty and apprehension in them. Now, they were shining with happiness and… love? I could not tell. "Starfire of Tamaran, you have always known me as Robin. Today, I want you to meet someone else, one who is a stranger, yet familiar. This is the boy behind the mask. Star, meet Richard John Grayson."


	3. Confessions

**A.N.: Hi again! I'm back and sorry for being AWOL. I'll try to update asap, now that my exams are done with. I have a small request. Many people read the story, but don't review. I know you all are very busy, but that small review means a lot to budding writers like me. I hope you understand.**

**FLUFF WARNING! If you aren't a fan of RobStar fluff, please think thrice before reading this chapter.**

**Thanks again for reading!**

**Love, Opal :D**

**(Robin's POV)**

My heart was in my throat. What would she say? Would she be angry, irritated, sad, understanding, happy, excited, apprehensive…? I don't know. I had just taken one of HIS most important rules, and crushed it beneath my steel-toed boot. I had exposed my secret identity to someone. Though, I was extremely certain that Starfire would carry my secret to her grave if I asked her to. Not that I wanted to think about her dying, or getting harmed or wounded or… Seriously, Robin, what the heck is wrong with you? You just exposed your real identity to Starfire and you're getting frantic about her getting wounded? Classic.

I was jerked out of my reverie when I fell on to my pillow. Starfire had tackled me in a hug, her head was on my shoulder, my eyes were closed and the two of us were lying on my bed.

"Robin, thank you for trusting me with such an important part of your life. I know how hard it is for you, and that your identity means a lot to you. "

It was at this point that I realised that my shoulder felt damp. I looked down to see tears running down her cheeks. "Star, please don't cry. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I just wasn't ready to show you who I am. Was it too late? Please don't cry. You're my best friend; I won't know what to do if you stop talking to me. Though, it wouldn't be wrong of you to be angry... Mmph!"

I was silenced by Starfire's hand. "Robin, I am not the angry at you. I do not hate you, and you did not make me the cry. I am only crying because I was rutha, I was not strong enough to tell you about myself before today. You know bits about me, but not the whole story. You know that I was a prize of the Citadel. My father, Myand'r, gave me as a peace treaty. I had to serve a Master. I was their slave. Luckily, though, because I had not yet undergone my Transformation, I was saved from having to _service _them in ways some other females had to." She shuddered at this point, and as my brain realized what exactly she was speaking of, I felt sick and hugged her close to me.

"Ssshh, Star. It's okay. They can never harm you again. I'm here, I'll always be."

"Thank you, Robin. I know that it was in the past, but sometimes those mares of the night come back to haunt me. Anyway, I am not done. Blackfire and I were given to the Psions once the Citadel was done with us. The Psions experimented on us. They wanted to see how much energy a Tamaranian could hold before exploding. They supercharged us, which gave me these starbolts. The other Tamaranians do not have them. I broke free using these and came to earth, where the Citadel chased me to. It was then that I met a young boy. He was the first to help me, the first who was not the terrified of me. He showed me another way of life. He taught me the English language, which I was in dire need of. It was solely due to him that I gave Earth a chance."

Ah, how clearly I remembered that day when my world turned upside down, thanks to one hot alien. The day when Starfire had ki… I blushed and scratched the back of my neck. "The day you crashed on Earth. The day the Titans were first formed" I grinned at her. "How could I forget?" She gave a soft smile, but I could see her eyes didn't light up. She was still shaken by those memories. "C'mere Star. You don't need to be worried anymore. You're a kick-ass alien princess who can deal with anything life throws at you, and you've proved that time and again. In fact, you're proving it again. Anyone who can find the joy to fly, after being put through what you have experienced, is a real survivor. I'm just curious, Star, how DO you manage to fly after having been through so much?"

She smiled and mumbled something, too soft for even my trained ears to catch.

**(Starfire's POV)**

"I'm just curious, Star, how DO you manage to fly after having been through so much?"

I gave a soft smile and mumbled softly, "I have you, Robin. You are my happiness and my world." He didn't hear it, but he had a sweet smile on his face. Suddenly, I felt an urge to tell him what I really felt about him. He told me about his life, the least he deserved was to know about my feelings. But, I suppressed those emotions. I looked up at him, and found him gazing at me with a most peculiar and intense expression. It was as if he was deliberating with himself over something.

I understood that he had not realized that he was the young boy I had spoken of. Perhaps, it was better so. I did not want to endanger our friendship, even though he meant so much more to me. I decided to distract him from this current topic, even though I hated to do so. "Richard?"

He got a very dreamy and contented expression on his face. "Richard? Are you still there, Richard?"

"Uh? Star? Um, oh …Yeah, yes, I'm… Uh, I'm here, yeah?"

"What do we do about Red X?"

He jerked back to reality, just as I had expected him to. "Good point, Starfire."

"Koriand'r."

"Sorry? Where did herbs come into this?"

"Not coriander, Koriand'r. My Tamaranian name is Koriand'r." Richard blushed. "I know your Earthen name, and it is only fitting that you should know my real name as well."

"Thanks, Sta… Koriand'r. Wait, so Star translates to Kori in Tamaranian?" I nodded. "Sweet, Kori. It suits you. You're just like a star, forever shining and twinkling with happiness and energy…" He trailed off, blushing furiously. "Hmm, so, yeah… uh, about Red X, I think we should talk to the other Titans as well."

"I believe you are the correct, Richard. Please do not mind my asking, but why did you decide to tell me about yourself?"

He started. He took a deep breath, and sighed. "Kori, you are one of the most important people in my life. I felt that you needed to know. You deserved to know me. And then with Red X resurfacing, I just thought that I should tell you."

"X'hal, Richard. I am honoured that you think so much of me. I thank you. But, please, how is Red X related to all this?"

"Kori, on Earth, 'Dick' is just a nickname for 'Richard'. So…"

I gasped. "Red X meant you when he mentioned 'Dick'? Are you certain? How does he know you?"

"Yes, Star, I'm certain he meant me. A few days ago, I received an email from someone I had never dreamt of getting one from ever again. Red X. He told me a few things, but I dismissed them. Let's go to the common room, we'll discuss it with the other Titans."

I nodded at him, processing all this information in my mind. I was thinking when my thoughts were interrupted by a soft, "Kori?"

"Yes, Richard?"

"I'm certain Red X meant me. He was one of the people who knew me best. He was my adoptive brother." There were tears in his eyes as he said this.

"Richard, you do not need to be the upset. Even if he is your brother, it can never change my love for you. Nothing in this world ever could. Come, let's go the common room."

**(Robin's POV)**

She was taking this so well. I just told her that one of the most wanted criminals is my adoptive brother, and here she was, glomping me in a Starfire hug. How could I not love her with all my heart? She was consoling me saying that it could never change her love for me…

Hold that. LOVE? LOVE! She couldn't have said that, she wouldn't have just said that. Nonononono, this was just too unreal… Nope, definitely not happening. Heck, I couldn't have just thought that. Why in the whole universe would this Tamaranian beauty fall in love with ME?

"Richard?" My legs buckled from under me. Damn, she made that one word sound so… perfect. As if it were invented just to be said by her. Jeez, if anyone heard me, they'd retch at my corniness. "Richard! Are you the o and kay?"

"Say that again."

"What?"

"My name. Say that again, Kori."

"Umm, Richard."

"Ahh, I'm definitely having a good dream."

I was jolted out of my dreams by a soft whack on my arm. "Richard, are you alright?"

"Yeah, Star, I'm alright. It's just that you make it sound so nice. The way it rolls off your tongue reminds me of the way my mother used to say it. She used to call me her little robin, because I was born on the first day of spring."

"Richard, why do you speak of her in the past tense?"

I tensed. "It's nothing, Starfire. My parents died when I was young. They were acrobats; trapeze artists. The rope was cut and they fell to their deaths. I saw it happen. Batman took me in, and I slowly trained to become Robin. Some years late, I had a falling out with him, as he treated me too much like a kid. I came here to make a name for myself, and then I met the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I knew I was a goner for her, even when she was attacking me. I've loved her ever since. Not a day goes by, when I don't think of her. But, I haven't been able to work up the courage to tell her. She's my bestest friend, and I don't wanna destroy our bond. She's the best thing that happened to me ever since joining the Titans. I love her with all my heart, and I'd do anything for her. But, I'm scared to tell her."

By this time, I had a huge smile on my face, one that could rival the Joker's. I paused when I felt a tender hand on my shoulder. Starfire's beautiful emerald eyes were shining. And for the first time, I was afraid, as my brain finally caught up with my mouth. WHAT had I been blabbing? I couldn't read Kori's expression; I had no idea what she was thinking.

"Richard, if you truly love her the way you have described, then she is indeed fortunate to have your affections. I wish you the best of luck with your love. And now, to express my enthusiasm, I shall recite the Tamaranian poem of love and best wishes; all 6,380 verses of it."

I have no idea why I did what I did next. Maybe, it was the unshed tears I saw shining in her eyes. Maybe, because my raging hormones took over. Maybe because I just wanted to comfort her. I do not know the reason, and I never will either. But, I realized that Star didn't realize that I had just poured my heart out about her. She really thought I was in love with some other girl. I reached out and wrapped her in something like a Robin cuddle… nothing compared to a Starfire hug, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I was NOT about to let the love of my life walk away thinking I was in love with someone else. NO, sir.

She was surprised at first, but soon melted into my hug. I brought my lips close to her ear and whispered, "Star, do you want me to tell you about her?" Then, without waiting for her answer, I continued. "She has the most gorgeous jade eyes I have ever seen. Her hair is an exotic shade of red that cascades down her back. Her eyes are always filled with joy and energy and happiness. She looks beautiful when she flies; so free. She brings light into my world, my own personal star. And do you know what I like best about her?"

I lifted her head so that I was looking straight into her eyes. My intense expression turned cheeky, and I said, "I think it's awesome the way she shoots starbolts." Her eyes grew wide and I could see that she remembered our adventures on that weird planet. My heart filled with hope, confusion, love, joy, and a myriad of emotions. I took a deep breath. I was 100% certain about what I was about to say next. "I love you, Koriand'r."

Nothing could have prepared me for her reaction. She was speechless at first. My heart sank. This was the end. I should have known that she was Tamaranian royalty and had a lot of people to court her, who were much better than me; a lowlife, Earthen circus scum. Then for the second time in a few hours I found myself tackled to my bed, with a gorgeous alien lying on top of me. She was smiling, and had tears running down her cheeks. I felt her mumble something against my chest. "What was that, Star?"

"I love you as well, Richard."

I thought my world had stopped. Those six words did wonders to me. Suddenly, my life seemed a million times better than ever before. And all because the exotic beauty lying on me said she loved me as well. Then, something unexpected happened. Starfire, of all people, reached out and whacked me on the back of the head. HARD.

"Ow! Star, what was that for?"

"Richard, that was for being a _klandrok. _You scared me so much. For so long, you have behaved as if we could only be friends, nothing more. You have been hiding your true feelings from me for so long. Even on that planet, you only ended up stuttering and stammering the entire time. Secondly, you don't listen to what you are supposed to listen to. Just some time ago, I was talking about the young boy who was my sole reason for initially staying on Earth, the one who first showed me kindness. What use are your great detective skills if you cannot even figure out when someone is talking about you?"

"Wait, that was me you were taking about?"

It was it this point that Starfire actually held her head in her hands, and reached out to shove me, toppling me over the edge of the bed. I scrambled back on. "So, I was the reason you stayed on Earth?"

"X'Hal, Richard. Are you really that dense?"

"But wait, how did I teach you English? I remember initially you were speaking Tamaranian, but then, you switched to English."

I saw Star blush. She actually turned a deep scarlet, close to her hair colour. "Star?"

"It is due to a Tamaranian trait." She was still blushing furiously. "Richard, do you remember what happened after you freed me from my handcuffs?"

"Yeah, how could I forget that day? When you finally calmed down enough to let me unlock your cuffs, you rubbed your hands and then you put your hand behind my neck and then you…" I suddenly realised why Starfire was blushing. Now, I was sporting the same colour on my cheeks and across the back of my neck. "And then you gave me the most unforgettable kiss ever."

"Tamaranians can learn any language through lip contact."

"Ahh, so that's why you kissed me. And here I was thinking that my boyishly good looks and charm lured you in…" I said, cheekily, earning myself another soft whack.

"But, since coming to earth, I have realized that lip contact means a lot more than just a transfer of knowledge."

"Yeah, Star. If you don't mind, I want to try something that I've wanted to do for a long time."

I tilted her chin up and bent down. I softly brushed my lips against her tender ones. That action sent a shiver through my whole body. I kissed her again. I felt her hand tangle itself in my ebony locks, pulling me closer. I snaked an arm around her petite waist, pressing her against me. I leant in, deepening the kiss. We stayed like that for some time, before the need for oxygen overwhelmed us.

"Well, that was… exhilarating. I definitely enjoyed that, Kori."

"Me too, Richard. Me too."

I smiled mischievously. "So, Kori, can I call you my girlfriend now and give you bountiful floral arrangements?"

She broke out into a huge Starfire smile; one that would've put Cheshire to shame. "Only if you promise never to yell the opposite in the middle of an abandoned space station again, Richard."

"Kori, if you keep saying Richard like that, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself from wanting to kiss you again."

She smiled coquettishly. "Do you like this better, Richard?" she purred.

"Star, you're testing my restraint."

"Who said you had to show restraint about kissing me anyway?"

I scowled at her."You minx. C'mere, so I can punish you for that." I tackled her, and for once, I ended up on top of her when we landed on the bed.

"What punishment were you talking about, Richard?"

"This", I said, as I bent down to capture her lips with mine once more.


	4. Across Universes

**A.N.: This entire chapter takes place in an alternate universe. This chapter takes place BEFORE the first chapter. A lot of the characters may seem OOC, but please don't mind. That is how I've planned the story. Your ideas are welcome. From now, the alternate characters are going to be in italics, while the normal characters are going to be in normal print. And some Tamaranian words may be in italics. I hope you like it. I'd really like to know your opinions on the story. Flames welcome. Please favourite, follow, review or all 3! **

**Love, Opal :)**

**(****_Robin's _****POV,)**

I loved the wind rushing through my hair as I jumped across rooftops at night. The whistling sound it made served only to heighten my thrill. Adrenaline was pumping through me. What was better for a teenage boy than getting to rush through the city with rooftops as your playground? Especially with a hot girl in a sexy, skin tight costume? It outlined all her curves perfectly, and left little to the imagination. Her long red hair fell in perfect waves, framing her beautiful face. Lovely green eyes, clear complexion and lush, red lips. If this isn't any straight teenage guy's dream, I don't know what is. Best part is, this beauty was mine. My girlfriend. And I was going to make damn sure it stayed that way.

We stopped behind an old warehouse. We had to rendezvous with my mentor here. 'The Dark Knight'. Hmph, that fitted him perfectly. It was him who started all this 'prowling on rooftops at an ungodly hour' business. And trust him never to turn up at the appointed time. It became his habit to be 'fashionably late', whether it was this business or his alter-ego's life.

"What happened, _Robin?_ Why are you worried? Waiting for him to turn up is a rather common occurrence now, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. You should know. It's always the two of us who have to wait for Gotham's f****** King to grace us with his presence."

"So, you planning to stand there and sulk or…" she trailed off suggestively.

I caught on to the hint of suggestion in her voice. I turned around and stalked over to her. "You did not just think I was going to turn down an offer like that, now, did you?" I growled. I pulled her to me and hungrily bent down to devour her lips with mine. She was kissing me back with an equal fervour. But then, it wasn't any surprise to others. Any Gothamite knew that she was _Robin's_. And there was no idiot in Gotham, who'd ever dared flirt with her. For one, they didn't want to find out what I could do to them. Two, no one, and I mean, no on messes with _Batman's _partner's girl. And three, she was a formidable warrior herself, more than capable of inflicting bodily harm upon anyone who hit on her.

We were interrupted by a cough. "Oh, so you finally decide to turn up when I'm with my girlfriend. Do you have an 'annoy the hell out of me' radar or something?"

"I don't think it is me who decides to have a make out session in the middle of the job. Anyway, quit sucking faces a minute and listen here. The _Joker _and his men will be here any minute, and believe me, they're a lot more pissed off than you, right now."

I smirked, and had my trademark cocky grin on my face. "Well, old man, why didn't you mention THAT? Nothing better than getting to kick the _Joker's _sorry butt."

I felt a soft tug on my shoulder and turned around to face my girlfriend. "Well, _Robin, _aren't you going to invite me?" she said with a sparkle in her green eyes.

"Come on in, princess. When have I ever stopped you from beating up an enemy?"

I whipped out my bo-staff and a couple of birdarangs. I fell into a fighting stance, and glanced out of the corner of my eye to see her mimicking my position. _Batman _stood to my right with batarangs in each hand, ready to let them fly at the slightest notice. I caught a slight noise towards an alley way and shot a birdarangs, which ricocheted off the alley wall and made contact with one of the _Joker's _men. I was ready to fend off the rest of those fools with my bo-staff. The thumps coming from behind me and to my right were clear signals of the fact that those goons were receiving the same, if not worse, treatment from my mentor and girlfriend. Pretty soon, we had an alleyway full of the prone bodies of men wearing a clown's mask, complete with the grin.

But, we knew better than to let our guard down now. The _Joker _was known for his randomness. And I was right, because moments later, his voice rang out. "Now now, _Batsy_, did you have to hit them all quite so hard? Do you know how hard it is to find good helpers these days? You're lucky you have _Baby Bird_ and _Redhead_ over there. At the rate you three are putting them out of work, I'll be in trouble. And _Baby Bird_, look at you! All grown up with a girlfriend now! She's a feisty one. Congratulations! I hope you will remember to invite me to the wedding. I hope you turn out better than your grouchy _Bats_, at least. No sense of romance."

"Cut the cr*p, _Joker_." _ Batman _growled. "I doubt you came here to lecture _Robin_ about his love life."

"Oh _Batsy, _you're no fun. Let me have a heart to heart talk with _Baby Bird _for once. Anyway, you should know why I'm here. As I remember, it was you who and your team of whelps who pulled that stunt at the museum and then at the LexCorp office. Seriously, what the h*ll were you thinking, stealing that chip and then wrecking the museum? Got nothing better to do now? _Harley_ darling, do me favour and knock some sense into _Bird Boy _and his lady friend there, while I teach _Batman _here some manners."

Till now, I was seething. Why did this nut job have to make an appearance? Why couldn't he leave us to work in peace without interrupting with his deranged girlfriend? And why, oh, why, did he have to call me 'Baby Bird', of all the rotten names he could come up with? I was glancing around, trying to guess where he would attack from. Or actually, where _Harley Quinn _would attack from. I got my answer in the form of a grunt from behind me, as she very nearly brought her hammer down on my girl, who avoided it with a tumble. I whipped around and threw a few-well placed birdarangs at her.

"Oh, that's it. _Harley,_ you're going down tonight. I've had enough of you and your '_mistah J' _spoiling my fun. Bring it on." I said, with a cocky smirk.

**(****_Batman's _****POV)**

"… while I teach _Batman _here some manners."

I heard the telltale thump of _Harley Quinn's _hammer behind me, and knew that she was engaged n combat with those two teenagers. And then he walked out of the alleyway in front of me. Purple suit, white skin, green hair, maniacal smile and all. He stepped back as a batarangs impaled itself in the ground at his feet.

"What? No talking at all? Well, tonight, we'll do it your way!"

I barely had time to dodge as a small bomb was thrown out of the alleyway in front of me. It rolled to my feet and started hissing, releasing his signature laughing gas. I pulled on a gas mask to prevent myself from descending into hysteria. He had walked up to me and his fist made contact with my jaw. I retaliated with a sweeping kick that would've unbalanced him, if my stupid apprentice had not thrown a birdarang that whizzed inches from my face. The _Joker _flipped back and was on his feet again. He pulled out two long serrated knives, concealed in the sleeves of that blasted purple coat of his. Did he have an entire arsenal hidden there? I hated those knives. They were a deadly extension of his arms, much like my batarangs or staff. If he wasn't enough of a problem already, those knives made it a h*ll of a lot worse.

I found myself sparring with him, warding off the blades with my staff. There was a similar scene going on behind me. We were closely matched. Neither was able to get a hit in for a long time. Suddenly, he feigned a sweep, and as I avoided it, he slashed out with his knives, catching me on my arms. I stepped back, and found that both my upper arms had a huge gash. The uniform was ripped and blood flowed freely. But, then what sort of a person would I be if I didn't have hidden toys for such times? I threw a couple of smoke bombs, and disappeared into the smoke. I fired my grappling hook, and made my way to a rooftop nearby. I pulled out two bandages from my utility belt and wound them around the cuts, to stem the bleeding. "Robin? You and your girlfriend might want to come here. Our business tonight is done."

I saw those two disappear the same way I had, leaving an infuriated _Joker _and an equally enraged _Harley Quinn,_ and they landed in front of me. I jumped off and made my way to a desolate part of town, entering a huge underground cave below Wayne mansion, through a hidden entrance. Those two followed me, and we sat down in front of a desk with papers strewn all over it. The computer screen glowed in the background.

"We have the chip. We have the blueprints. We know LexCorp was working on that machine, but shut the project down because of the 'potential harm it could cause in the wrong hands' trash. What next,_ Batman_? We already rule Gotham at night. Gotham is already known as your city. What are we planning to do, now that LexCorp is out of the way? I doubt _Joker and Harley _will be able to mess with us for some time now. I think they both have enough injuries to last them for some time. Gotham is going to be a _Joker-_free zone for the next week or so. What next?" _Robin_ asked, a hint of annoyance creeping in his voice.

"Patience. All in good time, _Robin._ Right now, the two of you go back and get yourselves patched up. Now that we have the chip, we can continue on to the next part of the plan. Tomorrow, we are breaking into Queen Industries. They have the largest supply of xenothium in Gotham. And we're going to need a lot of it. The device is ready. I just have to alter the chip a little and insert it. Then, the only thing we will need is the fuel; the xenothium. After that, neither the _Joker _nor anyone else will be a threat anymore."

"What about that other punk? That X kid? The last time, when we broke into LexCorp for the blueprints, he had turned up. Then, when we infiltrated the museum for the chip, that idiot was keeping to the sides, watching the action as we dealt with _Joker _and his gang. Come to think of it, he's been present for quite a long time at each of our outings. I know he's essentially one of the goody-two-shoes, but he does turn to the other side from time to time. How do we know which side he's working for right now? I don't remember either you or _Robin_ calling him, and I'm sure as heck _Joker _would rather give up chasing you than call _Red X. _So, which side of the line does he work on?"

This speech by her was a shock to me. One, she had actually spoken to me for more than five seconds. Two, she had noticed something that neither I nor _Robin _had been able to notice. I immediately hacked into the security camera feed at LexCorp and at the museum. Replaying the footage from those days, I realized that for once, the redhead had outsmarted the World's Greatest Detective. She was right. At both those heists, this _Red X _character was present. Not participating, but observing carefully. I paled at this new discovery.

It seemed like a new problem. If he had been present the last few times, then he had to have a reason. Something like this was too odd, to be left to coincidence alone. He was aware of some of my plans, as he hadn't bothered to turn up on any of the other nights. He was a hero who worked solo, looking out for his and only his interests. At times, he had been known to ally with the other side to achieve his own ends. He had a twisted way of working. Somehow, he and _Robin _managed to butt heads an insane amount of times. But this time, it was evident he was not on our side. That made him a problem; one that needed to be contained quickly. If there ever was someone who understood people on both sides of the line, it was him. It wasn't long before he would figure out what was happening. We couldn't risk him endangering our plans.

"Okay, there's a change in plans. I'm rewriting this chip right now, while you two prepare for the Queen Industries mission. We're going tonight."

**(****_Robin's _****POV)**

"Jeez, old man, need you dance about all night? The balls and clubs not enough for you?" I grumbled.

"Unless you'd rather get your sorry butt kicked by _Red X, _you'd better listen to me, 'Baby Bird'."

That was it. I'd had enough of playing dutiful son. He treated me like crap sometimes and expected me to continue putting up with his behaviour. I exploded. "What does X have to do with this mission? Sure, he may have turned up to watch a couple of fights, but how does that matter? What is the next step in this plan of yours? You make me and my girl do all your work, but you don't trust us with the plan. Why are we rushing after a stupid machine that LexCorp has proven doesn't work? What does that blasted machine even do? _Batman, _I want answers right now. I'm not a kid and I won't blindly follow all your orders. I demand to know what the f****** h*** is going on. I've followed everything you said, but now, I need to know."

"Sit down, _Robin._ Okay, I'll tell you. I suspect _Red X_ may have figured out our plans and will do everything in his power to stop them. The machine we have put together is useless without the correct programming. That programming is in the chip. A little tweaking and that machine will turn into a teleporter. With that kind of power, we will be unstoppable. Not only Gotham, all the other cities will also bow down to us. Superman, Green Arrow, Flash- all of them will be weaker than us. Worlds will acknowledge our supremacy."

I smirked. This sounded damn good. I looked back at my girlfriend and found her staring intently. The spark in her green eyes was clearly visible. She was just as excited as I was. I had just one query. "Hold up, old man. What did you mean by, 'worlds'? Just how big are the spoils from this job?"

His expression showed that he was pleased. He had wanted me to catch on to that particular plural. "The teleporter will be like _X's_, just with a wider range."

"How wide?"

My mentor had a cocky smirk, to match my own, as he answered, "Across universes, that's how wide."

"Well, old man, whatcha waiting for? Let's get cracking; we have universes to dominate."

"So, I'll deal with the xenothium and the chip. While you two need to go pay a visit to our friend _Red X, _I assume. We can't have him disrupting our plans now, can we?"

I quickly ran a search on his whereabouts, hoping to ambush him. Suddenly, something caught my eye. "Holy crap."

"What happened, _Robin?_" my girlfriend asked me, worried.

"Hey! _Batman,_ we have a huge problem on our hands. Our friend here just used a huge amount of xenothium for a teleport. An inter-universe one. He's gone to one of the other universes. I guess he must've warned them about us."

_Batman _moved faster than I'd ever seen him move before. He was at my side in seconds. "Okay, that is a minor glitch. _Robin,_ you have to follow him there and stop him from causing further trouble. If needed, take him out. Deal with him once and for all. The machine will be ready in a few hours. Till then, do what you must. We have to contain this threat. Or else, our entire project may be at risk."

**(A few hours later. Still ****_Robin's_**** POV)**

The machine was fully charged with xenothium. I'd nicked it from _Red X's _personal stash, as I knew it would irritate him no end. And anyway, he was in a different universe; there was no way he could stop me. My mentor pressed a few buttons, configuring the machine. "You know what you must do. Good luck."

I walked through the portal created by the machine. There was a blinding light, and I fell on to hard concrete. I got up, and dusted myself off. I realized that it was just before sunrise. I had landed on the roof of some building. A huge 'T' in the middle of a bay, a little away from the city. Seriously, what idiot would stay here? I walked to the edge of the building and was looking down, when I heard a door creak. I whipped around to find _Red X _glaring at me. "You will not succeed in this twisted plan of yours. I will not let you do that as long as I live."

"Oh, so it has come to that. Very well." I threw multiple birdarangs at him. He only just managed to dodge them, but even so, he got many scratches. I somersaulted over to him, and attacked him, launching into a volley of quick punches and jabs. He blocked them, but I could see that his exhaustion due to the teleport was showing up. He would not last much longer. I pulled out a couple of bladed birdarangs. I flipped back, and threw both at him. One missed; but the other impaled itself in his chest. I could see the blood leak out through his uniform. He had been standing close to the edge of the building, and now, in death, he was swaying unsteadily. He fell over the edge, disappearing without a trace into the swirling waters below.

I muttered into my comlink. "_Red X_ has been dealt with. He won't trouble us ever again."

"Well done, _Robin._ There's just one problem; he managed to contact somebody in that universe and explain the situation to them. The only problem is that we don't know who it was."

I cursed and was pacing the roof furiously, thinking about my next move. I sensed someone come near me and spun around. I was facing a redhead with orange skin and green eyes. She was…floating? She opened her mouth to speak, but I immediately threw a disk at her. It was a knockout one. She was surrounded by smoke, and slumped to the ground, unconscious. I realized that someone might come looking for her soon. I quickly scanned the tower and soon understood where her bedroom might be. I carried her there and put her on the bed. I took a good look at her. She didn't seem human to me. But, damn, she was smoking hot.

I quickly reached the roof, and scanned the tower, to check for any other people up and about. Luckily there were none. I hacked into the camera feed and upon watching a bit of it, I realized that the residents had powers. Suddenly, I got a shock. I saw myself on the camera, albeit in a much more colourful uniform. _Batman _and my girlfriend were nowhere to be seen. I guessed that this was the alternate-me. I could see the sun beginning to peek out over the horizon. I took off, making my way to the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, I tried to think what I could do to prevent the mission from going south. There was no way I could manage finding some random person in an unknown universe. Reluctantly, I activated my comlink.

"_Batman, _I'm going to need some serious help with this one."


	5. Cryptic Messages

**A.N. Sorrry Sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry! I haven't been able to get online at all! I know it's horrible of me, but i couldn't help it. Anyway, I'll try to update a lot faster now. I hope you like the story. Please follow, favourite, review or all 3! Thanks for reading!**

**Love,**

**Opal :)**

**(Robin's POV)**

I couldn't believe it. I had finally worked up the courage to tell this emerald-eyed beauty my feelings. She was the only one to see Dick Grayson. And, what's more, she loved me back! Finally, after ages of loving her from afar, I could call her mine. My girlfriend. Seriously, now I was going to choke on my own sappiness. I made my way to the common room, with her at my side; our fingers interlinked. I had to discuss Red X with the Titans. We needed to be aware of just what we might be up against.

The door swished open. Starfire gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I looked at her, and saw love, confidence and trust shining in her eyes. I could see that she would stand behind me no matter what happened. I smiled at her, and we walked in. Raven was reading in a corner, with a cup of steaming herbal tea by her side. Beast Boy and Cyborg were having yet another gaming marathon. Beast Boy turned around to see who had entered. "Hey Robin! You wanna join us and kick Cy's robotic butt at this… No way!" His mouth dropped open. It was a close second to my jaw-drop at Starfire's almost-wedding. "Dude! You're holding Star's hand!"

I shrugged. "Yeah, so what?"

Cyborg also turned his human eye widening. "I don't believe this. You're holding Star's hand and asking 'so what?' You aren't even turning red!"

"Dude, it's almost as if you… Holy tofu! You're finally with her?"

"No way! Your spiky little ass finally got the guts to talk to her about your feelings? Well, it's about time!"

"Dude, congratulations! You too, Star! I can't believe he finally managed to do it!"

That earned him a cuff from Raven, who walked over to us. "Congratulations Star! Would you just get Silkie? I think he deserves to participate in this moment too."

Starfire nodded and floated off, looking for her pet larva. This seemed really odd of Raven, to ask for Silkie. Then she turned to me, "It took you long enough, Robin. And if you hurt her in any way, you'll have my rage loose on you. It's up to you if you want to face that." I gulped. The wrath of a half-demon was nothing to joke about.

"Yeah, Robin. Star's my little sister. If ya hurt her, I swear I'll kick your spiky-haired ass all the way from here to Tamaran. And congratulations, you finally proved that you're not such a girl."Cyborg interjected.

My yelp of indignation was smothered by Beast Boy. "Yeah, dude. If I see my elder sister get hurt or sad thanks to you, rest assured, you'll have a private audience with every damn species that walked the world."

I was basically being herded into a corner of the room, by three super-powered, angry teens. I was already cowering, as Raven switched to four eyes, Beast Boy grew claws, and Cyborg's hand changed to his cannon. I was saved by my princess in purple armour, who walked through the door that very minute. "Friends, why are you all huddled around Robin in a corner of the room?"

"Nothing, Star. We were just giving him a hug to show how happy we all are for the two of you." Beast Boy said, retracting his claws. Raven's eyes turned normal, and Cyborg's hand was a hand once more. "Come on, join us, little lady!" Cyborg shouted. Star literally shot into the group, colliding with me. We fell into a huge group hug, even Raven joining in. And there was no way the moment would be complete without Cy's trademark "Boo-yah!"

We disentangled from the hug, and sat down on the sofa. "All right, now that we're done congratulating me and Star…"

'And threatening me', I added mentally, "We can get down to business. I called you all here for some very important business. This has to do with the recent break-in at the museum by Red X. As you all know, he was very cryptic about it; not disclosing his motives. He told Starfire that I would know why he was there. Earlier I could not understand what he meant, but then he said something which brought realization crashing down on my head. First thing you guys need to know is that I was contacted by Red X sometime ago. I dismissed it as some random prank. But, after this fight, it's all making perfect sense."

"Hold up, dude. What did Red X do to manage to convince you?" Beast Boy interrupted.

"Cyborg, pull up a recording of the fight on the main screen and play it."

He did so, but the other Titans still could not understand. Nothing seemed very odd to them. I sighed.

"Cy. Go right to the end. Play Red X's last speech."

'Sorry, cutie. I seem to be knocking you out a lot. But before I go, do me a favour. Tell Dick I said 'hi'.'

"There! Right that one line!" I pointed it out.

"But, Robin all he told her was to convey his 'hi' to some 'Dick'." said Raven.

"That's it. I know that person." I breathed deeply. "Titans, you must promise me not to reveal this to anybody else. This is a huge secret, and it had better stay that way." I pulled off my mask with a flourish, and gave an exaggerated bow. "Dick Grayson, at your service."

Three jaws hit the floor.

"And yes, before any of you ask, I really am Dick Grayson. Huge playboy, Prince of Gotham, the second most eligible bachelor, blah blah blah. Now, back to business. Beast Boy, Cyborg; questions later. Red X did mean me; I'm certain of it. He contacted me through an email; one he sent to me as Dick Grayson; not as Robin. It's obvious he really wanted to get my attention; otherwise, he wouldn't have pulled my secret identity into all this."

"But, dude, how did he know your secret identity?"

"Can we cut the identity crisis and go to more pressing matters here? That email is extremely important. Here, read it."

I pressed a few buttons and pulled up X's email on the main screen.

'Hey Dickie-Bird,

I really need to talk to you, and I know you'll arrest me before a civil conversation. So, I have to send you an email now. This is to warn you of an impending crisis. So, swallow your rather inflated ego and sense of self-importance for once, and listen to me.

The world is in danger. Huge danger. And it's not only our world which is in trouble. Almost every freaking parallel universe out there is. I was just contacted by someone who I trust as much as I trust myself. He warned me of the disaster just waiting to happen. And it has already begun. You need to know this; nothing is as it seems. Trust no one. No one except the five of you and me. The enemy you are up against is nothing like what you have seen before. Slade has nothing on him. I'll contact you soon. I can't write much in case this is intercepted. But, do yourself a favour and check the security footage of the Tower this morning.

Give my love to cutie. The offer of the date still stands.

X. '

"Holy tofu!" "Azar!" "X'Hal!" "Oh God."

"Dick, when did he send this email to you?" Cyborg asked carefully.

"The day he broke in at the museum… Oh crap, I didn't review the footage, what with Star's injury. Cy, check it, NOW!"

We all watched with bated breath as the footage played out. "Wait, Cy. Zoom in on the camera near Star's room." Beast Boy said. I wondered what he had seen. Everything seemed pretty normal to me. Then, I saw it.

A little before sunrise, Starfire woke, as was her habit, and went to the roof. All seemed normal till this point. Then, a few minutes later, we saw a boy in a dark cape carry an unconscious Starfire to her room. When he stepped back out, his face was towards the camera. I blanched, as my face stared at me from the screen. I wore a different uniform, though. It was dark red, dull yellow, and black. My hair wasn't up in its usual spikes, but it was definitely me.

"But, t-that's not p-possible. Look, at my room, I haven't come out at all, neither have I gone in again. And last time I checked, I couldn't pass through walls, neither did I have that uniform." I stammered.

"But Richard, I do remember going on the roof that morning. You, in that uniform, were doing the 'furious pacing' and then, when I came closer; you whipped around and fired your smoke bombs at me. I woke up in my bed later, and thought it was all a dream." Starfire said.

"Well, cutie, that's because you weren't dreaming and it wasn't your Dickie-Bird either." drawled a voice from the doorway.

"Red X! I will kill you if you ever send me such cryptic trash again. How the heck did you come inside anyway?" I snarled.

"I teleported, 'Dick'. Use some common sense. Anyway, it wasn't you. That boy is _Dick Grayson_ from an alternate universe. He came to this universe, and is still here. That's the good part. The bad part is that he's invited his friends to come and play."

"Why would that be bad? The more Titans we have, the easier it'll be to deal with this crisis." Beast Boy piped up.

"Well, I'd agree with you, if he were a Titan in the first place."

"He's not?" asked Raven.

"No. There is a universe where _Robin_ is not a Titan. The Titans don't exist. That _Robin_ is still with his _Batman_, but that is not the problem. The problem is that this _Robin_ is part of the danger. Check your footage of the roof."

I hurriedly played it, still processing the information Red X gave me. What I saw nearly made me faint. On the screen, I had just watched alternate me kill Red X. well, alternate Red X, because my Red X was standing in front of me, smirking. "This time around, _Robin_ is the feared supervilliain; and _Red X_ is the hero. Well, he was the hero. Because right now, he's kinda dead and at the bottom of the bay."

I slumped into a chair. "X, how do you know all this?" I breathed.

"My counterpart came from that universe to warn me. He told me what was happening and the danger the world was in. He only had time to inform me of the bare minimum before your counterpart turned up in this universe. Then, _Red X_ had to go away to prevent _Robin_ from locating me, and so that he could be stopped. I don't think he had planned on dying, though. He only managed to explain snatches to me. The rest, we must figure out on our own. "

I was still struggling to absorb all the information. There was just one way to find out what was happening. "X, start explaining. In detail. Now."

I could feel him smirking at me all the way across the room. "Well, since you've asked me to… Anyway, last night, sometime before dawn, I was woken by myself. After I figured out I wasn't hallucinating, the alternate me started speaking nonstop about some teleporter powered by xenothium. It's just like mine, only with a much, much wider range."

"How wide?" asked Cyborg.

"Across entire universes. The alternate _Robin _and _Batman _were trying to make it. Why, well, alternate me didn't know at first. He tailed them at quite a few of their missions. They were collecting various parts of the machine. It seems like they succeeded in building it, if they managed to send _Robin _here. One thing I managed to understand from all his rambling was that in the alternate universe, everything is far from normal. _The Batclan _is not a defender of justice. They are feared all through Gotham. Alternate me was working solo, and against them. One thing was constant; _Red X _and _Robin_ were still enemies. Alternate me only had time to tell me so much, before your counterpart turned up. That's all I know. Now, bro, I need your help; much as I hate to ask for it."

Nonononono… This could not be happening. Not at all. Red X could not be telling me that the world was in danger, much less asking me for help. Not in my wildest dreams. Starfire was standing next to me, with a very worried expression on her face. She reached out and softly squeezed my arm, in a hope to reassure me. I closed my eyes and inched the bridge of my nose. I slowly breathed out, and opened my eyes. Yup, he was still standing there. Okay, so maybe this wasn't a dream. "X, give me one reason to believe you. And how do you know my identity?"

"Oh Dickie-bird, I thought the email would be enough for your inner detective. Just tell me, how many people actually call you 'Dickie-Bird', hmm?"

My mouth fell open. All the colour left my already too-pale face. I was suddenly holding Starfire's arm as if my life depended on it. "No!" I breathed. "This is not possible…"

**(Starfire's POV)**

I watched Richard as he turned much paler than usual. He was clutching my arm in the grip of deaths. His jaw was hanging, and I could see that he was shocked; maybe even, afraid? I was worried. What could be so terrible that it scared Robin, the Boy Wonder?

"No! This is not possible…" he said. "It can't be you. It can't. It just can't be you. I saw it on tape. He was hitting you continuously. He left you in that warehouse. He timed it so that Dad would be just a little too late. Dad saw it explode. I saw the photographs. Hell, I was there at your funeral. This is unreal. It can't be you. I thought it was Tim, not you. Never you."

By now, Richard was shaking. His voice had risen by the end of this speech. His face was towards X and he was leaning on me. His back was towards the Titans. I could see that his cheeks were wet. Richard was crying. I softly rubbed his arm, hoping to soothe him. He calmed a little, but was still frantic.

"Oh, but it is me. You can thank Ra's for that. Him and his Lazarus Pit. It is true what they say; they can really bring someone back from the dead. He gave me new life. Then, I decided to come to Jump. I just couldn't live without being able to annoy the hell out of you."

Richard very nearly had a heart attack right there. Then he took a deep breath. "If you really are who you say you are, then you know the one philosophy my adoptive brother lived by. The one that only I was privy to."

Red X smiled. "'Friends are enemies; Enemies friends…'"

"'We don't need to make amends'", finished Richard. "Jace? It's really you."

What happened next was too fast for the other Titans to comprehend. I only just understood, because of my training on Okaara. Richard, using my arm as support, vaulted over the sofa, and tackled Red X to the ground. They were wrestling playfully with each other before Richard pinned Red X and pulled off his mask. He reached out and ruffled X's hair. Red X kicked him off and flipped over into a standing position. Richard went flying and performed a complicated twist in mid-air, to land in a standing position next to me. He put an arm around my waist, holding me to him.

I looked up to see Red X. His mask was scrunched loosely in his fist. For the first time ever, I was looking at his face. He seemed to be a year or two younger than Robin. But otherwise, they could pass for siblings. X had the same dark hair, short and ruffled from their bout of rolling about. He had blue eyes too, only his were a different shade, not as deep or beautiful as Richard's. A few of his bangs were falling over his face. His face was sharper than Richard's. He had a cocky smirk on his face.

"Hey! Dudes! Robin! Mind explaining what the heck is going on?" Beast Boy yelled indignantly.

Raven deadpanned, "Yeah, Robin. Do tell us before his brain explodes."

Red X turned to Richard, "Bro, you explaining to them or can I introduce myself, properly?"

Richard cuffed him on the back of his head. "Titans, I want you all to meet Jason Todd, aka my annoying whelp of an adoptive brother."

Jason mock-curtsied, much like Richard's self-introduction. "Glad to finally formally meet you without you guys trying to arrest me."

Raven's, Cyborg's and Beast Boy's jaws hit the floor. It was a bit of a surprise to me as well.

"Hey Rob, I don't mean to interfere, but what brother are you talking about?" asked Cyborg.

Jason's smirk was wiped clean off his face. Richard's smile dampened a little. "Titans, I know you all are rather confused abbot what's happening. I'll explain in a minute. I just need to do something before that. Starfire and Jace, the two of you come with me to my room. You three, stay here, we may be gone a while. I need to sort this out. Raven, you understand why, because you're probably having a hard time blocking out the barrage of emotions from me. I'm just asking you all to bear with me. Please. Not as your leader, but as your friend, I'm asking you to trust me. I'll explain everything, but I need some time."

Everyone looked at each other for a moment. Unspoken agreements passed between us. Cyborg spoke up, "Look, Robin. Dick. We have no idea what you're doing, but as your best friends, we trust you and will stand behind you no matter what you do. We'll wait till you're clear with whatever it is, because we trust you to tell us when you think you're ready. We will do as you say."

Richard smiled softly, "Guys, thank you. I promise I won't break your trust again; not like the X fiasco. Come on, Star. You too, Jace. Follow me."


	6. Just an Author's note

**I am really sorry, but i might not be updating frequently for various personal reasons. Also, I have a whole queue of exams coming up. I know this is wrong of me, but i can't do much about it. However, I shall try my bet to update whenever I can. Please bear with me, and forgive me for this inconvenience. :(**


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